The hubby and I launched our vacation with a trip to a flea market. I scored BIG! My first purchase was a whopping $3 and worth that and more!

It is a little misers purse. Obviously handmade (crocheted).

I couldn’t tell you how old it is (they were around from late 1800’s to the 1920’s) but the closure strings remind me of one I saw at the Costume Museum of Canada and that one was dated 1870’s. It was also crocheted.

It took awhile to figure out how to get into it but once I did I though “ingenious!”

There is a little tab on the front (look closely at the top photograph. If you pull on it, it pulls the two sides apart and pulls the strings out.

To fish something out, you poke your fingers past the strings.

Then to close it, you pull on the ring.

I am getting a lot of bang for my buck with this item. I can study it and figure out how it was made and make more. And I can use it with my next costume because the color is a near perfect match!

My shoulder is better but still not good enough for sewing so I have no progress to share with you. So how about another cabinet card?

We have this fabulous grand dame from Saratoga NY. This lady had money! Look at the detail on the skirt! She has a ring, a bracelet, a bar pin, a chain under the lacy shawl and earrings. The lace shawl is why I bought this card! It is fabulous! The bar pin holds it closed at the throat but I’m not sure how she has it held so close to her waist. I suppose it could just be straight pins holding it to the bodice. With a corset there would be no risk of stabbing herself. The parasol is fairly plain but somehow the pose says powerful matriarch. Hope you like this card as much as I do!

I had big plans to start sewing up my new costume but I’m having issues with some tendonitis in my shoulder and I’m in pain. Big pain. I’m coping with T3’s, a sling and working with the arm reach of a T Rex. Never a good combo for successful sewing.

How about a cabinet card instead of sewing progress?

She looks to be a teenager. She has some rings and a bar pin so not poor. Her hair style looks to be 1880’s. She has a pretty face in my opinion. I hope she had a long happy life!

One of my all time favorite stores had a 50% off sale day on Sunday. Value Village! In addition to 2 shirts and a pair of pants that I need for work, I also got a puzzle.

I don’t need this.

I got some jewelry.

I definitely don’t need these.

And I got wool.

I REALLY, REALLY DON’T NEED THESE.

But it was on sale. If I bought it at the original store it would have cost me $48. But for $48 I got all the wool, jewelry, clothes and puzzle. So it was like getting all that other stuff for free. Right? Queen of Rationalization!

My big plan this year is to clear off projects I have started but not finished. This includes knitting and crochet projects that are partially done and sewing projects where I have bought the supplies but not started.

My first “done” project is a blanket intended for babies. It is pretty wild so I think it would work best as a play blanket…one to put the baby on the floor with. This project is well over a year in the making! (But, trust me, I have ones that have been on the back burner MUCH longer!)

(The color is a bit washed out in the photo.) I quite like it so I think I will start a “Grandma’s Hope Chest” and have it for any grandbabies that may come my way.